By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
The
government of the United States,
through the Office for
Counter-narcotics, Citizen Security
and Justice, has donated $200,000
for the first training of the first
K-9 Units in the country.
The graduation took place at the National Police
Academy* where 25 officers
from different police in the country
and 11 dogs participated in mutual
training.
Alberto Garcia, Police Advisor to
the US Embassy, remarked "one dog
does the work of 10 policemen. This
investment made is for the National
Security of Costa Rica."
The Judicial Investigation
Organization says the Canine Unit is
made up of a chief, an instructor
and canine, who are trained in
techniques, tactics and mechanisms
for the handling of dogs in the
detection of certain substances or
odors, with a great participation in
judicial processes of investigation
of these crimes at national level.
The services that dogs do are
evaluations, search processes, and
advice in possible hiding places of
psychotropic evidence, hydrocarbons
and odors of human remains, which
are applied in the investigation of
cases in the respective offices that
request the service.
Erick Lacayo, Director of the
National Police Academy, says the
importance of doing the courses
under one system is to "standardize
all the processes with the country's
canine units and have a unique
platform in the training process."
Among the police offices that
participated in the training are the
Municipal Police, the Penitentiary
Police, agents of the Judicial
Investigation Organization, the
Border Police, the Police of the Air
Surveillance Service, and the Public
Police, known as the Fuerza Publica.
Other recent donations of the U.S.
Government in security, as AM Costa
Rica reported it on May 27, included
the U.S. government-sponsored
Council of Central American
Prosecutors.
The U.S.
government through the Department of
the Interior, in cooperation with
the Network of Observance and
Application of the Wildlife
Regulations of Central America and
the Dominican Republic (ROAVIS),
sponsored by the Central American
and Caribbean Council of Public
Ministries focusing on environmental
crimes.
The two-day council with the
participation of 11 prosecutors
representing Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
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Participants
at the opening of the
Council included: Ms.
Sharon Day, the United
States ambassador in
Costa Rica, Hefer
Morataya, the
representative of the
Secretary-General of
the Central American
Integration System
(SICA) and Melissa
Flynn, the
representative in
Panama of the United
Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime
(UNODC).
"We are pleased to
hear that this Council
will focus on
environmental
conservation. Wildlife
trafficking is a very
serious transnational
crime that threatens
the environment, fuels
corruption and robs
communities of a licit
way to make a living
According to the
United Nations
Organization and
Interpol, illegal
wildlife trade is
worth between seven
and $23 million
annually, " said
Ambassador Day.
Emilia Navas, Costa
Rican Attorney
General, said the
institutions of the
region that pursue
crime must have close
relations to fight
together against
crime.
Attorney General Navas
also announced that in
May, Costa Rica will
host the ninth Latin
American Congress of
the Public Ministry of
the Environment,
called "Environmental
Justice in Latin
America."
Another important
donation was four
helicopters donated in
May.
The Four UH-IST
helicopters arrived in
the country aboard a
Globemaster C-17.
These aircraft are
part of the Aviation
Program that the
United States has with
Costa Rica.
Once the two-year
program has ended, the
aircraft will be
permanently
transferred to the Air
Surveillance Service
of the Ministry of
Public Security.
The United States will
be in charge of the
aircraft over the next
two years, a period
during which it will
be responsible for
maintaining the
aircraft, as well as
administering training
to SVA's pilots and
maintenance managing.
SVA will assume the
costs of the four
helicopters.
"The helicopters will
increase the capacity
of the SVA to provide
aerial support in case
of emergencies,
humanitarian aid, and
equipment and
personnel to remote
areas." The aircraft
will also be integral
tools in the fight
against drug
trafficking," said the
Embassy in its
statement.
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How can
the U.S. Government
support Costa Rica
further in the fight
against drug
trafficking and
crime? We would
like to know your
thoughts on this
story. Send your
comments to: news@amcostarica.com
*Link
to reach the place
map.
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